Live every week like it's Valkubus week
by valk1
Summary: Some oneshots/drabbles.
1. I've got you

Scenario: Sometime in season 4 after Tamsin has left to find herself...

* * *

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to break into the Una Mens compound without a real plan when they took Kenzi, but when people threaten my best friend, logic tends to evaporate. My impulsivity has landed me in a drafty old tower, my waist, wrists, and ankles stinging under rusty yet surprisingly strong restraints. They didn't take long to locate and subdue me, and my power was useless against them. I didn't bother trying to take their chi, but my effort to charm their leader through touch resulted in a debilitating wave of pain that left me drained and defenceless. Hours later, my whole body still feels like an exposed nerve.

It's dark now, except for the moonlight pouring in through the barred window. I've been staring at the wall for hours, contemplating my options, when I hear the clunk of one of the window bars hitting the floor, followed by the others, one by one. I look over to see a shadow cross the wall –a winged silhouette. Craning my neck backward, I spot Tamsin out of the corner of my eye. It's only the second time I've seen her wings; they're truly stunning to behold.

Our eyes meet. "Shhhh..." the Valkyrie holds a finger to her lips. "Hold still."

Something is different about her. It's her aura. It's back to its old form, shining brightly as it did when the drunken detective slid into my bath to tell me I was perfect. I don't have time to consider the implications of this as the Valkyrie carefully melts the thick cuffs with her torch, careful not to burn me or place undue pressure on my leftover wounds. I am weak on my feet as she guides me to the window, whispering along the way. "I'm going to fly you over that hill where my truck is waiting for us. I need to you stay calm, I won't drop you." Her tone is gentle but she's confident again, like before.

Tamsin slowly wraps her arms around my waist. Her grip is firm but tender, she can tell I'm in a fragile state. Suddenly I hear a flap and we're in the air. I close my eyes tightly after a few seconds, unable to look down as the Una Mens compound shrinks beneath us. "It's okay, Bo. I've got you," the Valkyrie reassures me, sensing my unease. And she's right. I feel safe in her arms.

It isn't long before we're landing on the ground, next to a new black pickup. I shudder when our bodies part. The blonde looks me up and down, searching for injuries, "Not as bad as I feared, though there'll be no more adventures for you today." There it is; that edge I had almost forgotten about.

"But Kenzi-"

"Kenzi is fine, I pulled her from the compound two hours ago, before I heard the news that you'd gotten yourself strung up too. Trick hid her at the Dal." I pick up a softness in Tamsin's voice and realize that it's love, love for Kenzi that must have survived the return of her memory.

"Thank you," I sigh. I have a thousand questions but decide they can wait until we've put some more distance between ourselves and the Una Mens.

Back at home, I stare at Tamsin, unsure of what to expect from her. Her wings are hidden once more, though evidence of their emergence remains. There's a giant tear in the back of the Valkyrie's t-shirt; her swollen shoulder blades are gilded with blood. I finds myself tracing my finger up the left one, sending a mild wave of charm. The blonde is mildly stunned as she registers my touch. "Does it hurt?" I ask.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Tamsin shrugs, "doesn't take long to go back to normal."

"You're you again."

"Yes, the bitch has returned in all her glory," the Valkyrie jokes.

"Do you remember... the things that happened before?"

"Yes," Tamsin responds, her voice more serious, "I remember everything from my past life."

"I missed you." Perhaps it's the exhaustion, but I am feeling especially candid. "We shouldn't have split up at Taft's. All this stuff went down, and when I came back you were just a baby."

"I'm sorry, Bo," the Valkyrie confesses.

"It's not your fault you died."

"No, I mean I'm sorry for all the shit I did in my past life, with the Wanderer."

"It's in the past."

Tamsin looks mildly surprised to hear me brush everything off. She looks down at my wrists; the skin is still raw from the shackles. "You need to feed," she announces.

"It's not as bad as it looks."

"You look pale." She takes my hands in hers. "You're shaking."

"I'll find someone at the Dal," I tell her, "I don't want to feed from you."

"Why not? Is my chi not good enough?" Her tone is playfully sarcastic but I can tell she's hurt underneath.

"Your chi is incredible," I assure the Valkyrie, running a finger up her arm, "but this time around I don't want our first kiss to be for a feed."

She's speechless as she follows me out the door.


	2. In a flash

Scenario: Post season 3 finale, Bo has returned and reunites with Tamsin under interesting circumstances...

* * *

"So... you found her in the woods?" Bo asked Dyson as she slammed the car door shut, "Wait, do you realize that if you take care of Tamsin, it means she will be literally raised by wolves?"

"Actually, Kenzi has been in charge of childcare," he replied, "and Tamsin should be physically mature by now. A Valkyrie's childhood goes by in a flash."

"They've probably spent the week playing dress-up and making a mess of the kitchen" Bo laughed, but suddenly she felt someone grab her arm. She and Dyson had been so engrossed in conversation that she hadn't noticed the Morrigan stride up behind her.

"Well, well, well, succubus, back from the netherworld so soon?" Evony purred, "Not so fast Dyson," she gestured to the wolf, who stood ready to pounce on the other side of the car. "I could melt you both in the time it would take you to get to me. I'm just here for a friendly chat..."  
Somehow Bo doubted her sincerity.

Coming out of the Dal, Tamsin noticed 3 people standing on the other side of the parking lot. She recognized the wolf who'd found her in the forest and squinted to make out the other two. It was Kenzi's beautiful succubus friend from the picture, and judging by the look on her face, the Valkyrie could tell she was distressed. The other woman was gripping her arm and whispering in her ear.  
Unexpected fury welled up inside the Valkyrie at the sight of this stranger menacing the succubus. Tamsin was overcome with the sensation that she was in serious danger and for some reason she felt very, very protective of her. A cold feeling crept over her face as a dreadful power instinctively rose to the surface. She directed it at the strange woman, who instantly fell to the ground.  
"Holy shit." Amazed at what she'd just done, Tamsin froze where she stood as Dyson came running over to her.

"Tamsin, did you do that?" He carefully put his hand on her shoulder.

"Uh, huh. I guess my power is kicking in..." she trailed off in shock.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.  
"Yeah, I... did I hurt you? Did I hurt your friend?"

"No," the wolf smiled reassuringly. "We're lucky you showed up. That lady was very dangerous."

"I think she's dead!" the succubus called over. She was kneeling next to the woman's body, searching for a pulse.

"We need to get her body inside," Dyson insisted, scanning the area for witnesses.

* * *

Half an hour later the Valkyrie was sitting in a booth, sipping hot chocolate while Kenzi rubbed her back. Alongside the awakening of her power, the blonde had been hit by a wave of blurry, violent memories from her previous lives. Battles. Gun fights. Explosions. Blood and severed limbs. The feeling of a bullet hitting her in the stomach.

"I have seen a lot of death," she informed her surrogate older sister.

"I know, sweetie. That's kind of your thing," Kenzi offered in sympathy.

"I didn't realize it would be so serious..."

"On the bright side, you're only 2 weeks old and you've landed your first kill," the human joked nervously. "And that wasn't just any old underfae; that was the Morrigan. You bagged a grizzly bear on your first day out hunting."

"I knew that she needed to die," Tamsin explained calmly, "she was full of violent intention toward your friend." The Valkyrie glanced over to the succubus, who was standing with Trick and the wolf by the bar, talking in hushed voices. She felt a strange pang in her stomach as she permitted herself to admire the brunette. _She has the prettiest eyes..._

"Do you remember much else from your past? Do you remember Bo?" the human asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"I don't have any clear memory of her but I have this strange feeling that I know her. It's more... intense than with the rest of you." Kenzi couldn't help but notice the expression of wonder on the blonde's face.

Bo approached the Valkyrie cautiously. She wasn't quite a child but she had a much more innocent look about her than the Tamsin who'd once poured coffee all over Dyson's desk. Bo could tell that the blonde was overwhelmed by her sudden initiation into her own violent destiny.

"Considering that Evony was telling me just how much she was going to enjoy killing me, I'd say I'm very lucky you got your powers back when you did," she told Tamsin in a soft voice. The Valkyrie looked up to meet her gaze and Bo could tell she didn't recognize her. Still, she couldn't help but notice a spike in the blonde's aura, and she had to admit it felt really good to see her again. She'd nearly kissed her after their fight at Taft's compound. Now, of course, things were very different. This was a different Tamsin.  
Tamsin stared silently at the succubus as she took in her words. Kenzi decided to leave the two of them to get acquainted and wandered toward the bar in search of a celebratory drink.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," the brunette continued. "I'm Bo, I knew you in your past life."

"What was I like?" the Valkyrie asked shyly, "I remember so much death. Was I bad like that woman I just killed?"

"No, you weren't bad. You had... a very hard exterior. But we..." the succubus flashed back to various moments they'd shared, "we actually had a strong connection and you became very special to me. It's a shame you don't remember."

Tamsin stared back at her blankly._ I was special to this gorgeous succubus? _"You are one of the strongest fae I've every met," she went on, "What you did back there in the parking lot -it wasn't the first time you saved my life. Once you even shielded me from a bullet."

"Whoa," the Valkyrie uttered in disbelief.

"You're one of the good ones, Tamsin." The succubus leaned in and put her hand over the other woman's. "I knew it before, and I can tell it's still true."

The brunette felt Tamsin shudder and decided she was probably just feeling shy, so she smiled, thanked the Valkyrie again, and walked back over to the bar to give her some space.  
Tamsin felt dizzy and leaned back into her seat. In actuality, her memories had instantly returned when Bo touched her.  
The day they met.  
Letting the succubus feed off her in the forest. Brazenwood. Acacia. The bathtub. That fucking trigger-happy guard. The moment Bo finally broke down that last wall and convinced her they could resist him together. Her truck going off the cliff.

_Fuck me. Ignorance was bliss._

She remembered Dyson too, and the doctor and Kenzi, Hale and Trick. She closed her eyes and gave herself a moment to adjust to her newfound awareness of everything she'd forgotten. Then she smiled when she remembered Evony, feeling proud of her instinct to destroy her._ I guess she won't be a problem for me anymore._

Kenzi arrived with a tall glass of orange juice. "I brought you something special in honor of the return of your powers. Just don't tell Trick because you're still technically underage."

Tamsin smiled as she tasted the vodka in the drink, though she noted that Kenzi had been conservative with the alcohol/juice ratio, no doubt because she saw the Valkyrie as a child. She wasn't ready to reveal that her memory had returned so she sipped it slowly. "This is my new favorite drink. What is this?"

"It's an old friend of yours called 'vodka'," Kenzi announced, "but go easy on it. I can't have you vomiting all over the bar or Trick will have my neck."

Tamsin leaned over and wrapped the human in a warm hug. "You're the best pretend older sister ever. If anyone hurts you I will melt his face off."

"Oh Tammers, you can be so sweet sometimes," Kenzi sighed.

The Valkyrie looked over at Bo, and their eyes met. Bo's expression turned from friendly to serious.

* * *

Later that evening, the succubus waited until Kenzi had gone to bed, and caught Tamsin alone in the kitchen, pouring herself a large glass of vodka. Tamsin expected Bo to scold her for getting into the liquor cabinet, but she didn't seem to care. "You're always saving me, aren't you?" she said quietly, staring curiously at the Valkyrie.

The blonde wasn't sure how to act now that she remembered how she felt about Bo."They say you're the one who's always saving someone somewhere," Tamsin replied, "I was just in the right place at the right time."

The succubus was almost amused at her discomfort. "It all came back to you in the bar, didn't it?" she smiled.

Tamsin nodded with a little smile of her own. "How could you tell?" she asked nervously.

"When I talked to you after you killed her, you had this totally innocent look in your eyes, like a child. Then later, I looked over and it was gone. Now your eyes look like they did that day we fought, sad and sweet."

"I guess you read people pretty well after all."

Bo finally stepped toward the Valkyrie and clasped her arm firmly. "I am good at reading people. After all, I can tell at this very moment that you won't complain when I do this." She leaned in and captured Tamsin's lips in a soft kiss. The blonde sighed happily, unable to argue.


	3. A kiss before dying

A/N: This takes place after the fight at Taft's, but Bo, Tamsin, and Dyson have left together and there's no smoky appearance from the Wanderer.

* * *

_Well, it was bound to happen one day_, Lauren thought to herself as she twirled her hair through her fingers, _and I can't deny that I deserve it_. She was sitting in a jail cell downtown, reflecting on the crime that first put her on the cops' radar, the bombing she had spent a decade trying to forget. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since her brother talked her into committing an act of terrorism, but in moments like these it was like it had happened yesterday. Left alone in a cell without fae affairs or Bo to distract her, the full weight of her guilt was inescapable. Part of her had always felt like her servitude to the Fae was just karmic retribution for the lives she'd claimed.

Lauren wondered why and how they'd found her now. The police had picked her up when she went back to grab some things from her old apartment, the same apartment where she'd lived undetected for years. Someone in the fae world must have decided to tip them off, most likely in retaliation for the debacle at Taft's. So when the door finally opened and a familiar bitchy Valkyrie entered the room, the doctor assumed for a second that it had been Tamsin who'd ratted her out. _Great, now she's here to gloat._

"On your feet and don't say a word until we are out of here," the detective instructed her brusquely. _Out of here?_

"Tamsin, I..."

"Not a word. Just follow my lead," the Valkyrie snapped, looking her in the eye. Something seemed different about her. She was serious, and even nervous. She looked tired and paler than usual. Tamsin pulled the doctor through the door and down the hall. The officer who had processed Lauren was leaning against the wall, his eyes darting around the room in a daze. Dyson was sitting at the computer, typing away.

"I'm really sorry, Detectives, I don't know how this happened... how did I confuse Dr. Lewis for Karen Beattie?" the other cop mumbled as he pulled Lauren's wallet and other possessions out of a plastic bag to hand back to her. Staring at the unsteady man with sweat beading down his forehead, Lauren realized that Tamsin had cast doubt on him.

The Valkyrie clicked open the human's cuffs and placed them back in the other cop's belt. "She does bear a striking resemblance to the fugitive, I'll give you that."

The wolf piped up. "I don't want you or Williams to get in any trouble so I've deleted all record of the arrest."

"I've spoken to Dr. Lewis here," Tamsin added, "and she has agreed not to take any legal action because it was an honest mistake." At this point she looked over at Lauren, who nodded sympathetically, still confused at what was taking place.

"Thank you, Dr. Lewis," the dazed cop offered, "I am so sorry for this mix-up. I really appreciate your patience."

"I understand... we uh... we all make mistakes."

"We're going to take her out the back," Tamsin announced, "it'll be more discreet."

She gripped the human's arm as they navigated through the corridors. Lauren saw a couple of other confused cops who'd obviously been affected by the Valkyrie's doubt. When they reached the back door they were blocked by another pair of men in uniform.

"Detectives, where are you going with this suspect? Didn't they just book her?"

Lauren could feel the air get a few degrees cooler as a shadow spread across the Valkyrie's face. "Gentlemen, this isn't a suspect. She's a doctor and a personal friend of mine. She just came in to check on a sick is an entirely unremarkable occurrence that you'll soon forget."

The cops squinted and nodded as the two fae and the human moved past them into the parking lot. Lauren expected Tamsin to loosen her grip but the Valkyrie was practically clinging to her now and barely made it down the stairs before losing consciousness. Dyson sprang into action, catching her before she fell to the ground.

Right on cue, the succubus pulled up in a black truck. Dyson loaded the Valkyrie into the back seat and they were off. The doctor bent over the unconscious fae, cradling her head in her lap.

"How did you know I was there? What is wrong with Tamsin?"

"On our way back from Taft's she got an alert that you'd been arrested," the wolf explained, "we knew she'd have to use her doubt to confuse those officers but-"

"She's nearing the end of her life cycle," Bo interrupted, glancing down at Tamsin, "so every time she goes full Valkyrie it takes more and more out of her."

Lauren ran her fingers through the unconscious woman's hair and sure enough, it was falling out. "How did you convince her to do this?" she asked.

"We didn't have to do any convincing," Dyson replied, "it was her idea."

* * *

Tamsin woke in a strange bed and realized she was in Bo's bedroom. She looked over to find the doctor sitting in a chair beside her. "Hey," the Valkyrie whispered, embarrassed to be seen in such a weakened state.

"Hey yourself," Lauren said softly, reaching to feel her pulse and touch her forehead.

"You can't help me, I'm not going to recover-"

"I know, we just wanted you to be comfortable." The doctor reached into her medical bag and drew out a bottle of vodka. "I'm told you like it straight up."

The Valkyrie grinned as she sat up and twisted the cap. "Thank you, Lauren."

"Thank you, Tamsin. I'm surprised that you came to rescue me given that the last time we saw each other I slapped you in the face."

"Yeah, well, in your defense, I deserved it."

"You're down to the last of your strength and you chose to drain yourself to help me."

"That's a dramatic way of putting it."

"The bottom line is I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," the Valkyrie offered, her voice surprisingly sincere.

"So how long have you known that my real name is Karen Beattie?"

"A while," the detective admitted. "I looked into all of you when I was first partnered up with Dyson. I'm surprised he hadn't figured it out himself. Dude was clueless."

"And you didn't tell anyone, even though... you knew what I did."

Tamsin had been avoiding Lauren's gaze but turned to stare her right in the eyes. "No, I didn't tell them. I'm no angel either and it didn't fall under fae jurisdiction so it wasn't my place to act on it."

Lauren was quiet for a moment. "I... I have to admit, you're not the heartless person I took you for."

The Valkyrie smirked. "Looks like you're as bad at reading people as your girlfriend."

The doctor sighed. "At this point in time she's not really my-"

"Oh, yes she is. She loves you like crazy, and let's not pretend that you'll ever be able to keep away from someone like _her_."

Lauren detected something in Tamsin's tone that she'd never noticed before, something that suddenly made all of this make sense.

They heard a knock and looked over to see the succubus standing in the doorway. "Please tell me you'll have some soup to help wash down all that vodka." She placed a cup of soup on the bedside table, made her way over to the bed and flopped down next to the Valkyrie. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah, thanks..."

"I'm going to go make a couple of calls downstairs," Lauren announced. "Call me if you need anything."

Bo climbed in under the covers; the Valkyrie suddenly felt self-conscious when she realized they'd taken her jeans off, leaving her in her underwear. And now here she was, half naked in bed with the succubus. "That was a really decent thing you did back there. Brave too."

"It was the least I could do."

"The least you could have done would have been to let Lauren rot in jail," Bo countered.

"Yeah, well, I owed you, didn't I? For not telling you the truth about the bounty."

The succubus took the Valkyrie's hand in her own and smiled when she saw the blonde's cheeks turn bright crimson. "The way I see it, you never owed me anything, Tamsin. Your loyalty was to the man who hired you, and the Morrigan. And yet you betrayed them both to protect me."

"I mean, I never liked Evony anyway."

The succubus giggled. "You are so adorably bad at downplaying the best parts of yourself."

"I..." Tamsin began, caught off guard by the compliment. She was even more startled when she felt the sensation of Bo's lips pressing against her own. The kiss was soft and sweet and deliberate. A shiver ran up the blonde's spine as Bo reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Bo, you know I don't have much time left-" she whispered when they finally broke apart.

"I know, Tamsin," the succubus replied, looking her in the eye, "so spend it with me. We've already wasted too much time not admitting that we care for each other."

The brunette smiled as a look of realization dawned on the Valkyrie. _She knew. She knew how I felt and she felt the same way._

"Yeah, maybe you're the one who sucks at reading people," Bo teased, amused by the Valkyrie's reddening cheeks.

"Maybe I am," Tamsin admitted, leaning in to capture Bo's lips once more.


End file.
